Burning Out
by YAJJ
Summary: When he was five, Axel was saved from his abusive parents by a kind couple. Twelve years, one birth of twins, and a death in the family later, school just isn't working for him, and family is failing him. With tensions running high and arguments a constant, how is Axel supposed to make it through to graduation, or even to next week? *changed summary* *was called "F is for Family"*
1. Wednesday

Burning Out

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic_  
_

**YAJJ**

**Date: **6/17/2014, 8:10 PM

A/N: Hey, all, and welcome to the wacky world of "F is for Family", a rewrite of the fanfiction that I wrote _years_ ago!

I am still willing to let, like, _anyone_ at this point be a beta for this story if they should like to. I have gotten no requests... but it's alright if not. I've flown all my other stories solo, I can do this one.

Seriously, though, if you're bored with your summer and looking for something to do... I will not say no to a beta reader. :)

**Good news!** Okay, so I was reading another story's review regarding the sexual abuse that happens in it, and it said something like "why did that rape happen? Was it to make us pity the character more? Because we already pity him enough." And I realized _that's why I added sexual abuse into the sequel_. To make us pity the victim more, but it's like... why? Why make us pity him more, especially when I'm always like "this character is so strong he can do stuff all n his own, he don't need no _other man_" Just to throw this sort of thing on him? No. I don't want him to be weak. I want him to be as strong as he can be. And so, that is now the reason that rape will **not be included** in the sequel. Or prequel, for that matter. I promise. So if it made you feel awkward... well, you don't need to anymore.

Thank you, and sorry for that novel. Please read, enjoy, and send me a PM if you'd like to beta. Also, reviewing would be good, so I can see the overall reception this will get.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or any other mentions. I don't own anything. I'm a poor, currently unemployed college student (working on it, though!) who still lives in her parents' basement.

Please, enjoy!

* * *

"Really, Axel? A _D_?"

Axel flushed warmly with embarrassment, hanging his head. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, accepting his dad's scolding with no resistance. His teacher just _hated_ him. That was it. He _hated _ him. He had no reason to get that D, he could have sworn that it was at least a C worthy test…

Well, judging from how this stupid class had been dragging on, he was _lucky_ to get a D.

Two tiny voices giggled side by side, hiding behind the legs of their father. "Axel's in trouble~" sang the older boy, who was only older by five minutes. The other boy giggled wordlessly, peering around Dad's legs with no qualm of listening to him be scolded.

The man above them, tall and blond with piercing blue eyes, sighed heavily with exasperation. They'd had this talk way too many times. "Axel, look at me."

Axel griped for a moment and lifted his eyes. He got a good look at the anger fueling the fire in his father's eyes and looked away, face pale. "No."

"Aww, Axel, you don't have to be ascared of Daddy." The blond brother tottered over to Axel and patted his knee, his face painted in a smile.

"Go away, Roxas."

"Yeah! Daddy isn't gonna _hurt_ you!" the other brother laughed.

Axel just buried his face in his hands. He couldn't reply to the innocent boys. All that he would be able to say was "you have no proof", and then he'd feel so _guilty_ because this dad wasn't like his other dad. This dad wasn't _bad_. Not yet, at least, and so far that fact was twelve years strong…

"Boys, go on in the kitchen. Go color or something. I'll be in in a little bit," Dad sighed a little, unhooking the older brother from his legs.

"But—" Roxas pouted. Then he patted Axel's knee and said "see you in a bit!" He followed his older twin out.

Above him, Dad sighed. "Axel, look at me."

"No." Axel flushed with embarrassment. He felt like such a _child_, but this was so pathetic, especially the way that his dad was scolding him. "Why don't you just go bother the boys?"

"Because there's something wrong and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it," Dad sighed again. "Is the material too hard? Should we put you in a remedial class?"

"No!" Axel quickly protested, finally looking up at his dad. He ignored his eyes. "The material's not _hard_. It's the easiest science class we have in the school! There _isn't_ a remedial earth science!"

Dad blew out a heavy breath, slumping a little with exhaustion. He looked up at the ceiling. "You were doing so _well_ last year."

"Yeah, well, maybe earth science is just stupid and pointless. It's not like I'm going to be a geologist or anything! If _anything_, I'll be a chemist and then earth science is just _pointless_! I don't even see why it matters!" Axel pouted. He crossed his arms and looked down at his test, which Dad had dropped onto the table. _64/100_. That score was _mocking_ him. And the worst part was, it wasn't the worst that he'd done in the class. That _38/100_ still flashed painfully in his mind. He was lucky Mr. Even had allowed him to take a make-up test, that Dad had made him stay up for _hours_ studying for.

"Maybe it is, but it is required for graduation, and so you _are_ taking it and you _are_ passing it, with nothing less than a B. So far, you'll be lucky to get a D…" Dad sighed. "What can I do? How can I help you? Do you need tutoring?"

"No, tutoring's dumb."

"Do I have to sit there and _hold your hand_ while you do your homework?"

"_No_! I don't need help! I need _you_ to stay out of my _life_!" Axel threw his hands in the air and moved away from the couch, stomping around the table and his dad. He never raised his voice when the boys were in the house, but he was being torn into pieces from frustration and he _hated _his class and he was starting to think that maybe Dad wasn't off of the list of things that he hated, either.

"Axel, we're not done talking!" Dad snapped.

"Yes, Cloud, we are! I'm going to my room! Good night!" Axel stomped up the stairs, knowing he'd be in big trouble for calling his dad by his first name. The door at the top of the stairs, his room, was quickly kicked open and slammed shut once he was safely inside.

"You _watch your mouth_, Akuseru!" Cloud snapped through the door, clearly having followed his son. "And don't even think about coming out for supper, either!"

"No, I'll just call CPS because you _never feed me anymore_ and you know what? I don't even care! I'll just go over to Sai's, at least his mom _pretends to care_!" Axel kicked his door, and Cloud gave something not unlike a scream of annoyance, finally leaving his son alone.

Axel snarled with frustration and collapsed onto his bed, taking his pillow and yelling into it.

What he'd said was—_mostly_—a lie. It wasn't that Cloud never fed him, it was that he was never hungry anymore. CPS had actually been called twice on Axel, from a few teachers worried about his health, because of how freakishly skinny he was. Axel and Cloud had explained the situation, how Axel had a ridiculously high metabolism and _chose_ to never eat. The men had threatened each time that they were going to keep an eye on Cloud and that, if he wasn't careful, Mom wouldn't be the only Strife that the family would lose.

Axel's heart clenched painfully, and he dropped the pillow onto his face, breathing a deep, warm breath into it. He missed his _mom_. Aerith Strife had been the nicest person in the whole world. No, she wasn't Axel's _actual_ mom, just like Cloud wasn't his actual dad and Sora and Roxas weren't his actual brothers, but they all felt like family. Axel had been a part of the family for six years before Sora and Roxas had come along. And then Aerith got sick, and… and she'd gone away. It had all happened unexpectedly; so unexpectedly, in fact, that none of them got to say goodbye. She'd even been cremated, though it was against Dad's wishes and the action had nearly gotten the hospital sued. Instead, Dad had just taken the urn that her ashes were in, and had it buried under a beautiful cherry tree, and they'd moved on.

Axel rolled over on the bed, the pillow falling off of his face to land with a _poof_ on the floor. He flopped one hand off of the bed, landing on shaggy red carpet. "Ugh…"

Things had been so much better before the boys came around. Not that he was angry with the boys, or blamed them or anything. No, he loved those kids. They were his _baby brothers_. But back then, when Mom was still alive and Dad's temper hadn't been so short, things had been amazing. Back when Axel was the only kid that they had to fuss over and maybe he was a little more difficult than most but they never really seemed to care, then life had been perfect.

And now, this. Now, Dad was always angry at him, Axel was always angry at everything else, and the boys didn't seem to understand that you couldn't just _laugh_ at everything.

It was all this stupid class's fault. Last semester, when he'd been aceing advanced chemistry and had a GPA of 4.0, Axel and Dad and the boys were all happy. Cloud would practically show off a blushing Axel, saying "look at this genius! Look at this kid!" Now, he was failing earth science, and he was nearly failing math, and he wasn't doing hot in literature, either. Stupid earth science.

"Hey Axel…?"

Axel looked to his door, which was slowly creaking open. Two boys with bright blue eyes peered in at him, both looking cautious. "Hey boys. You should probably get out. I'm in trouble. Or didn't you hear?"

Sora looked at Roxas, and then pushed open the door. Roxas carried in a plate of snacks; cookies, Fig Newtons, a pop tart… He set the plate at Axel's side and stepped away when Sora put a tiny glass of milk on the bedside table. Both boys started rocking on their heels.

Axel tipped up one brow, looking at the boys with caution. "...What are you doing? You'll get all three of us in trouble. Dad's _pissed_ right now."

"Well, you called him Cloud!"

"And he _hates_ being called Cloud!"

"Besides, don't worry! Daddy said that you couldn't _starve_ because of you already need to eat more so here. He told us to get some food for you, but he was so mad that he didn't want to look at you."

Axel grouched a little and sighed. "Great. Thanks."

Both boys grinned brightly, missing the heavy sarcasm.

Axel didn't move for a bit of time, his hunger _still_ hadn't come, even though he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, nine hours ago. Finally, Roxas sighed in exasperation, climbed on top of Axel, and reached over him for a cookie. "Here you go, Axel," he said, pushing the cookie into his hand. "You're 'posed to eat 'cause Daddy said you can't come out for dinner."

"'M not hungry."

Sora rolled his eyes and climbed onto the bed beside his twin. "You're never hungry. How come? You're supposed to eat. Are you sick?"

"Yeah, I'm sick. Sick of Dad, sick of school, sick of homework and yelling and earth science and being adopted and I'm just _sick_." Axel rolled over some more, discharging the twins from his bed.

Sora rolled a little on the floor, sitting up when he came to a stop. Roxas had toppled where he'd fallen and looked up at his older brother. "You're not even 'dopted, stop being dumb," Roxas claimed, sticking out his tongue. He bounced to his feet and leaned his chin on Axel's mattress. "Gotta stop it."

"Maybe then Daddy won't be so mad all the time!" Sora reasoned.

"Go away," Axel groaned loudly.

"Make us!" Sora chirped, and Roxas gave a playful squeak and dove away from the bed, huddling beside his brother to wait for Axel to come play.

Axel turned over and faced the wall, ignoring the boys, drawing an audible pout from the both of them. "Get out. I wanna sleep."

"But sleeping is for bedtime, and it's not even bedtime."

"It's playtime! And dinnertime."

"Playtime! Come on, Axel, it's playtime!" Sora hopped over to Axel and tugged on his hand, making him turn back over and face them.

Axel glared at them both; he was so not in the mood! "Keep it up, and I'll play you right out of the window!" he growled.

Sora dropped his hand and looked to the window, Roxas copying him. Both swallowed anxiously and left their eldest brother alone. The window in Axel's room always freaked them out, because it was the only one that they could reach that didn't have something to catch them on the way down, like a tree or roof. The garage was right beneath the boys' room, and the maple tree was just outside of Dad's and the bathroom.

Axel groaned and rolled back over, burying his nose into his blanket. He looked up at the plate of treats the boys had brought him. Though it was hardly a healthy meal, and exactly not what Axel needed, the sentiment was still sweet. He may be the older brother, but that wouldn't stop the twins from looking out for him. He'd have to remember to thank them later.

Taking one cookie, he brought it to his mouth and munched on it slowly, ignoring that the rest of the day existed and instead swimming in the warmth that the boys gave him.

* * *

Axel didn't fall asleep that night. He went back downstairs at one point to grab his bag and do his homework and study, but just dragged it all back upstairs as soon as he saw his dad, locking himself away in his room. It wasn't until eleven thirty at night that he just gave up. The equations and stuff he could understand, but all this other crap about land formations and gems? He didn't even _want _to know about it.

He threw down his pen and switched off the lights, pushing the books off of his desk and onto the floor. He stomped over to his bed, tossed the covers back and curled up beneath them. His pillow hadn't left its place on the floor, and Axel was tempted to reach down for it, but he was tired and didn't want to bother, and it was probably cold anyway.

It wasn't long after that that his doorknob jiggled. Roxas and Sora had gone to bed hours ago, had in fact been very disappointed that they couldn't say goodnight to Axel, so he knew it wasn't them. And Dad was too furious with him to want to see him.

Then, the lock clicked and the door eased open, shedding a little light into the room. Ahh, Axel always forgot. Dad was an excellent lockpick, from a past that Axel sometimes didn't want to know about. Locking the door was really only a show anymore.

Axel quickly squeezed his eyes shut when heavy footsteps neared the bed, urged to let Dad think he was asleep. A weight fell on the bed near his middle, and a cool hand settled on his cheek, gentle and kind. What in the world…?

"Axel…" Dad sounded so tired. Of course; his business was failing, he had three kids to look after by his lonesome, one of whom was being very stupid and rebellious recently, the others were two six-year-olds that demanded attention.

For a moment, and just a moment, Axel thought that Dad knew he was still awake. He considered replying (probably something snotty and nasty, because he was tired too; tired of all of it) but then thought better of it. He wanted to hear what Dad had to say. Maybe he was coming up to apologize…?

Or maybe he was coming up to say that after twelve years, Axel had spent enough time with the family and because Cloud couldn't handle raising three boys, he'd have to go; Axel wasn't a real Strife anyway.

Axel shuddered a little at the thought, and then almost opened his eyes when he felt the blanket over him rise up to his chin. _Ha_. Dad thought he was _cold_. Axel was _never_ cold.

"Axel," said Dad again, softer this time. Axel still wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't supposed to say something, but somehow he doubted it. Dad sounded like he was just talking. "..." He made a noise like he really wanted to say something, but then it flopped and stopped working, so he just sighed heavily. Axel felt the hand lift off of his face and glide over his hair, and then it was on his shoulder and there was more pressure, what the heck was Dad doing?

Axel's eyes nearly shot straight open—_would have_, if Axel wasn't determined that Cloud didn't know he was awake—when he felt Dad's scruffy, partially-unshaven chin touch his cheek and then soft lips touch his temple. Dad wasn't one to express affection, not like this, certainly not when recipients were conscious. Of course, Dad didn't exactly _know_ he was conscious…

Dad sighed and stood, and Axel almost—_ALMOST!_—wanted to reach out and pull him back, because Cloud was still his dad, and a better one than his first one had been, at that. But he stopped himself, because he was supposed to be asleep and he was supposed to hate Dad right then, but he couldn't, he couldn't just mindlessly hate, he didn't even hate his first dad or his first mom and they had been the ones to hurt him.

"Good night, Axel," said Dad after a moment, and Axel cracked open one thin eye to peek at him and see what he was doing. He was standing in the doorway, blocking out the light. "I love you, kid."

Axel's throat felt tight and he didn't reply, closing his eye and pretending to be asleep again. The door squeaked shut, and the light out in the hallway went out with a click. Dad's heavy footfalls went back down the hallway to his room, and then the house was quiet.

Guilt kept Axel awake the rest of the night.

* * *

So, yeah. That happened :)

You all have no idea how nervous I am, posting this. My stomach hurts.

Please review! All reviews will be answered via PM.

Until next time,

~YAJJ


	2. Thursday

Burning Out

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

**YAJJ**

Date: 7/15/2014, 8:15 pm

A/N: **Good news**: Four years later, I have _finally come up with an acceptable title!_ Burning Out is the brand-spanking-new official title for this fic. And I'm thinking Burning Up for the sequel, but I'll have to check that. Ideas?

Still unbetaed, but I've decided that I don't care, and so I'm not going to ask for a beta-reader. It was probably a stupid thing for me to do anyway, but... I don't care. :)

Warnings: Somewhat strong language used in the first part, because it's told from an exhausted teenager's perspective, and teeny tiny little hint of Axene.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Axe body spray, or anything else mentioned in this story.

Please, enjoy!

* * *

Needless to say, come morning, Axel was not in the mood. The boys were _way_ too excitable, he didn't get _any_ sleep, his homework was _still_ not done (surprise surprise) and he couldn't even look in the general vicinity of his dad without feeling confused, embarrassed, and incredibly guilty. So he trudged out the door almost forty-five minutes early—because _fuck_ sleep and, as long as he was at it, _fuck_ hygiene, too—to walk to school. Maybe he'd catch Demyx before whatever band thing was today so they could gripe about school together.

The first thing that Demyx did, when he met with Axel, was drag the redhead to his locker and whip out whatever dorky Axe he had on him. He spent ten seconds spraying the stuff above Axel's head, letting it float down on him, ignoring Axel's murderously annoyed face.

Finally, Axel snapped and whipped his hand up, striking the can away from Demyx with a snarl. The can flew away and hit a wall, dropping to the floor loudly and rolling to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

"Fuck off, band geek."

Demyx barked a laugh and retrieved his Axe, stowing it away in his locker for later use. "Someone not get enough sleep last night, pyro?"

"Someone not get _any_ sleep last night," Axel corrected, crossing his arms with a fierce pout.

"Larxene come over?" Demyx grinned. As Axel's face paled, he burst into laughter.

"No! Larxene did not come over! Shut up, Dem! Like _Dad_ would ever let her stay the night or anything stupid like that!" Certainly not with two six-year-old twins in the room next door. _Or_ with his grades plummeting like they were. Axel sighed heavily. "Dad and I just got into a fight about the last test, and I was studying from six until eleven, and then Dad was being weird so I couldn't fall asleep after that."

"You and your dad sure do fight a lot," Demyx commented. He pulled his clarinet out of his locker—one of the many instruments that he played, and one of the very few that he actually needed practice with.

"Yeah, well… if he didn't set such high _expectations_… and if earth science wasn't so _stupid_!" That was the biggest problem. Although Dad did expect a lot out of him.

"Like that'll happen. Seriously, though, tutoring. Just once a week. Go in, get your homework done, and then you can avoid yelling at your dad and we can walk the kids home from school. Great plan, right?"

"I'm not a 'tard. I don't need _tutoring_ for _earth science_."

"Everyone needs tutoring for something, and it wouldn't make you a _'tard_. Besides, anything for the kids, right?"

The kids, of course, referred to Sora, Roxas and Naminé his cousin. Demyx adored the boys nearly as much as Axel did, he just didn't quite get the chance to show it. So it was little surprise that he would do anything for them

Axel sighed and glared at his friend. He didn't want to _argue_ about it. "...Yeah. Fine. I'll go."

* * *

Of course, Axel didn't go.

School sucked. He almost fell asleep in literature, _did_ fall asleep in math and earth science, and the teacher made him sit out in . The only one that he'd managed to stay awake in was choir, and that was for obvious reasons. So he waited for an hour on a bench outside for Demyx to finish whatever swimming thing he had, homework sprawled in his lap and not making any sense to him. He gave up after a while and shoved it all back in his bag, watching for Demyx to come out.

Naturally, the first thing that the musician did was ask how tutoring went. Axel lied and said it went well, and then asked what on earth those ridiculous instruments were that he was hauling home.

"A tuba, for Sora," said Demyx, lifting his right hand to indicate the thick black case that he was wheeling home, "and a cello, for Roxas." He lifted his left hand to show off the red, string instrument-shaped case that was also being wheeled behind him.

"For the boys to ride?"

"It's the only reason I ever bring instruments home." It was a wonder that the music teacher hadn't questioned why Demyx only brought home big instruments. He would bring home a third instrument, for his little cousin Naminé who lived with him, but she seemed to prefer his shoulders to any instrument. Even over his sitar case.

"Ha! They've got you wrapped around their little fingers, three times over."

"Like they've got _you_ wrapped any less!"

"Yeah… but… they're my _brothers_!"

Demyx only laughed and offered the cello to Axel. Though the redhead groaned animatedly, he did take the instrument case so Demyx wouldn't have such a hard time, and they started their walk over to the elementary school.

The walk took ten minutes plus a wait for the kids in their cars to get out of the parking lot. The students all seemed to think they had the right of way, which Axel was fine letting them think so long as he and Demyx didn't get hit.

And as always, the boys were just exiting the school, little backpacks strung over their shoulders, Naminé following behind them. Their teacher fussed over the twins, more than she did any of the others because without even trying, the boys were manipulative, (although she being Uncle Leon's wife helped, too). Then, Axel caught Roxas' eye, and the redhead waved.

Roxas practically screamed, jerking the teacher away from him in surprise. "Axel! Axel!" he wailed loudly. He bounced on his toes, grabbed Sora's hand, and pounced over to his brother with way too much excitement, leaving little Naminé in the dust.

When Sora finally got his bearings, he bounced into Axel's arms alongside Roxas, so the two had to squirm to fit comfortably and not fall. Demyx was laughing at them, until Roxas and Sora shot from Axel's arms into his, barely giving him enough time to drop the tuba and catch them both. Naminé quietly came up to Axel and, without saying a word, put her arms up. Axel obediently picked her up, resting her on his hip.

"You never come no more," Roxas pouted at his brother from Demyx's arms. He whirled around and put his arms out, commanding that Axel take him back again.

"Yeah, your brother has been floored with homework. I don't have the time anymore. But don't worry, I'll start coming more often," Axel said, taking the blond and balancing him on his other hip. Demyx lifted Sora with a little more support and set him on the head of the tuba, picking it up so he could cart him home.

"But homework's dumb," Sora protested lamely. He bounced on the tuba case.

"Careful, kiddo," Demyx crooned softly.

"And required to pass the class, which is required for graduation."

"And still dumb," Roxas said. He let Axel set him on the neck of the cello and hummed happily, leaning forward on it.

"I know." Axel adjusted Naminé a little, setting her on her cousin's shoulders so the girl could cheerfully greet Demyx. "So, ready to go home?"

"Yes!" the kids cheered.

"Say goodbye to Aunt Rinoa," Axel commanded.

Grinning wide, the twins put their hands in air to wave to her, fingers spread wide. "BYE, AUNT RINOA!"

Axel was very relieved when Rinoa laughed, her bright eyes twinkling. She waved to them and called, "see you tomorrow!"

"Alright, let's go."

They chatted aimlessly, the boys chattering between each other and Naminé about some odd thing they saw on TV last night, Axel and Demyx going on about nothing in particular. It took them about twenty minutes to get home, an extra three minutes than usual because Axel just didn't want to be there quite yet. Finally, though, they turned down their street, and Axel winced when he spotted Fenrir, Dad's motorcycle, in the driveway. Cloud was supposed to be at his business across town. There was really only one reason that he would have left it almost two hours early.

Sora and Roxas, recognizing that their dad's bike was there, scrambled down from the instruments (panicking the older boys, who yelled "at least warn us if you're going to do that!") and rushed onto the grass and up the street to their lawn. They bounced excitedly at the front porch and turned to face Axel, since he was the only one with a key. In response, both to the boys' excitement and their dad's presence, Axel slowed to an almost lethargic pace.

"AXEL!" Both of them wailed loudly, drawing more than one neighbor out from their homes.

Before Axel could even reach their driveway, the front door opened. Hearing the noise, the twins turned to the door and threw themselves on their father's legs. "Daddy!" they exclaimed.

At the door, Dad reached down to mess with both of the boys' hair, but his gaze didn't once leave Axel. In the hand that he didn't use to mess with the boys, he was holding tight to a crinkled paper. Well, that couldn't be good.

Dad cleared his throat and said loudly, "Axel, come here."

Axel gulped dramatically, sharing a look with Demyx. He clutched tight to the handle on the cello case and dragged it up the driveway with him, if only so Demyx had to follow and thus Axel wouldn't be left to face Dad's wrath alone.

Dad sighedat the doorway and pushed Sora and Roxas inside. "Boys," he said firmly, leaving no room for question, "Go up to your room. I need to speak with your brother."

From his terse tone, Axel knew that he was in trouble again, though he had no idea what for. Axel couldn't bring himself to meet his father's eyes.

When they reached the front porch, Dad greeted their friends tersely. "Demyx, Naminé, I'm going to have to ask you to go home, I'm afraid. Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Yeah, okay. Come on, Naminé, let's go get ice cream!" Demyx agreed, bouncing his cousin on his shoulders. He looked like he didn't want to get involved in whatever was about to happen. He gave Axel a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, took his cello case, and maneuvered himself back down the front walk and to the driveway.

Dad didn't say anything for a few moments, just barricading the doorway and looking down at his son. Axel still didn't dare look up at him, his hand clutching the strap of his backpack, his head angled down to look at the bed of flowers that Dad insisted on keeping up with because they had been Mom's favorites.

"Inside," Dad finally said, stepping out of the way. "Sit on the couch."

Axel stepped in, dropping his bag at his feet and wiggling out of his shoes. He forced himself to drop onto the couch and watched as Dad approached.

Dad seemed oddly furious. Well, maybe not furious, like he had been when Axel had kind of been practically unconscious and he'd stepped in front of him to protect him from the people he used to call Mom and Dad. He looked more like he was royally pissed off, like the kind that made Axel want to run to his room and hide beneath his covers, no matter how old he was.

"Is… erm, something wrong…?" Axel finally asked, threading his fingers together and daring himself to look up at Dad's face.

"'Is something wrong?'" Dad quoted in reply. He tossed the paper he'd been holding onto the table in front of the couch. Axel reached out so he could turn it and read it. He winced.

"_Mr. Strife,"_ it read, _"I am the science teacher here at Radiant Garden high school, and this semester I'm teaching earth science to your son, Axel…"_ Axel didn't want to read on; whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"...Yeah? So?"

"So?" Dad asked loudly. He leaned down and tapped a different section, one that looked an awful lot like a list. "Ten. Missed. Assignments. Ten of them, Axel! From _one_ class!"

"Missed assignments?" Axel asked. He got a good look at the sheet of paper, reading down the list. He had turned in _all_ of these assignments! The only assignment that he hadn't turned in was the one that was due today. "I don't have any assignments out!"

"Well then what do you call these?" Dad snatched the sheet up and read off of the list, "Gem formation worksheet one, gem formation worksheet two, cartography worksheet…" Dad continued reading down the list, each one making Axel just that little bit angrier… until he got to the last one.

"Hey! I turned that one in this week!" Late, but whatever. It wasn't _missing_.

"Then why is it on this list, Axel?"

"I don't know! Maybe because my teacher is an idiot that hates me!"

"That's _enough_!" Dad snapped, his face melting into anger. "You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you, Axel? You keep complaining that this class is so difficult; well, maybe it wouldn't be so difficult if you would just do your homework!"

"I DO my homework! I _know_ I turned in all of these assignments! It's not my fault my teacher is a _fucking_ idiot!" Well, he was in trouble now.

"Don't you _dare_ curse around me!" Dad snarled. "What would your mother think?"

"Which one? The one that's dead, or the one that swore at me all the time anyway? Somehow, I don't think either of them will care." Axel rose to face his father man to man, the top of Dad's head coming up to his chin.

"Aerith _would _care," Dad replied darkly, "and I don't appreciate that."

"Whatever, who _cares_? It's done now!"

Dad's face screwed up with anger. "I really don't appreciate your attitude. I know I taught you to respect your elders."

"No, you taught me to respect the ones who deserve to be respected. And I'm not going to respect that _stupid_ teacher who can't teach a class to save his life, or the man who won't _shut up_ and listen to me for once!"

"Oh, am _I _the one who needs to shut up? No, Axel, _you_ shut up, sit down and listen to me!" Dad approached his son ominously and, despite being of a much shorter stature, made himself a visible force to be reckoned with. For just a moment, Axel backed off, but he forced himself to stop and stand his ground. "I have had it _up to here_ with your attitude recently!" Dad continued. "Lying and talking back so much... I know I raised a better son than this. Sora and Roxas don't act like this at all!"

"Oh, not them again! 'Sora and Roxas, Sora and Roxas'. That's all you ever talk about! Can't you find anything else to talk about?"

"They're my sons, of course I'm going to talk about them!"

"Ever since Mom died, that's all you _ever_ talk about! Well, here's a newsflash for you: NO ONE CARES. You might think that they're the best kids born on the goddamn earth, but let me tell you; _THEY'RE NOT THAT GREAT_!"

"Watch your tongue!"

At the top of the stairs, the twins appeared, looking down at the fighting father and son. They shared a look, concern splitting their faces.

"NO! You need to hear this! Ever since Mom died, they're all you paid any attention to! JUST THEM. Well, this might surprise you, _you've got three kids_! And maybe, if you paid a little mind, I'd actually be passing this fucking class!"

"You're going to turn the fact that you're too lazy to do your homework on me?!"

"I DID MY HOMEWORK!"

Sora and Roxas quickly darted down the stairs, planting themselves between the eldest two Strifes when it looked like they'd actually go after each other. Axel's hands were balled into fists and he looked like he wanted to lunge for Cloud's throat. "Stop fighting!" Roxas exclaimed, leaning on Axel's legs to keep him back. Sora pushed on Cloud's legs firmly, little eyes squeezed shut. "Stop it!"'

"I DID IT ALREADY, IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT TEACHER HATES ME!"

"Well, whose fault do you think it is?!"

"Yours! Maybe it's all your fault!"

"_MY FAULT?!" _Whatever calm façade Cloud had up, keeping his face fairly neutral, completely melted. Suddenly, both parties looked prepared to do harm to the other.

"No!" Sora and Roxas both wailed, digging their heels in.

"Yeah! Maybe if you gave me a little _help_ around here this wouldn't be so _fucking impossible_!"

"Axel!" Roxas scolded.

"_Help_? How much more _help_ could I _give you_? I _adopted you_, didn't I?"

"No, _Mom_ adopted me; you just went along with it because you're too pathetic to say no to her! You know if you'd been left with the choice you would have dropped me off at the nearest orphanage! And who even said I _wanted_ to be adopted? Maybe I _liked it_ there; maybe I was happy there and you just took me away to bring me to this hellhole! I never exactly had the _choice_! I just woke up in the hospital with new parents and a new last name!"

Cloud's face twisted in rage. Sora and Roxas both lunged at him, tears wetting their bright blue eyes, trying to keep him at bay. "I could have just left you there to _die_ you know! I could have! But hey, if you wanna go back there, be my guest! You wanna be a Flynn again? Be my guest! But when they're trying to kill you again, don't come crying to me! _I_ won't be coming for you!"

For a moment, Axel's face changed from fury to horror, and then it was pure rage. "_FINE_! Fine, I'm _done_ being a Strife! I'm done, I'm _done with it_ and I'll be _glad_ to get out of this house!" He spun on his heel and marched to the front door, tearing it open so quickly it almost fell right off its hinges.

"_Good riddance_!"

Axel shoved outside and slammed the front door, ignoring the noise of something breaking inside. He heard the boys wail, "NO! Axel!" Cloud held them back, and the house quieted.

His chest heaving, Axel clenched and unclenched his fists out there on the front porch. '_If you wanna go back there, be my guest,_' Cloud had said. _Did_ he want to go back there? _Did _he want to search out his mother and father, ask them to take him back again after twelve years, even though they'd hated the idea of his very existence?

...No. Of course not. No matter what Dad may think, he wasn't stupid. Going back there was like asking to die.

But it wasn't like he could go back inside. Maybe he could call Demyx. Or Saïx. Maybe they'd let him stay the night.

But really, was Axel up to seeing anyone? Not after a fight like _that_. That fight _hurt_. Ever since he was little, ever since that one time in the second grade, with the bullies, Dad had always promised to protect him. Now... '_I won't be coming for you!_'

Had he _lost _his dad, just now? Over, what, ten missing assignments, that Axel knew he'd done? Maybe this was just Kingdom Hearts' way of saying that he wasn't supposed to have a family. That he should give up now.

Axel leaned against the wall beside the front door, sliding down it, and buried his face into his arms. He'd messed up, big time. He shouldn't have been yelling, especially since the boys were in the house. He should have confronted Dad about it in private. He _should_ have kept his cool.

Ha, yeah right. Not from a pyro like him. Keeping his cool was Demyx's thing.

And besides, Dad should have kept his cool, too. It was hardly fair of him to get so angry at Axel and then not believe him when he tried to explain. But then he'd gone on a tangent, and then they both had, and here Axel sat.

Axel felt his eyes slide shut, the darkness created by the loft and his own head lulling him to rest, reminding him of how little sleep he'd actually gotten the night before. That fight had _drained_ him, more than the rest of the day had. Maybe Axel would feel better after a little nap… clear his head, give Dad the time to cool down, and then he'd go back in and beg to be allowed to stay. But for now…

It took two minutes for, with the help of the coolness of the gentle breeze and his exhaustion, Axel to slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

Note: I like portraying Kingdom Hearts as some kind of deity. Thus, Axel's "was this Kingdom Hearts' way of...". It's like their god. Don't question me. :)

So, that's that! Chapter 3 should be up within the next few weeks. It's completed, but I want to get somewhere on chapter 4 before I post chapter 3.

Also, if anyone's curious about what Axel meant by "ever since that one time in the second grade, with the bullies", just ask. I actually have a number of background stories partway written that I wouldn't be against sharing.

Anyway, please review! As per the norm, all reviews will be answered via PM.

Until next time,

~YAJJ


	3. Friday

Burning Out

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

**YAJJ**

**Date**: 9/5/2014, 1:00 pm

A/N: Has anyone else noticed that the Kingdom Hearts fandom has diminished a lot recently, or am I just going crazy? And it's not just because not a lot of people have been looking at my stories (I'm pathetic). I have like 1250 fics on my favorites list, at least 200 of which are KH, but no one has updated since like the 31st. In like 5 days? Okay, there was one... but it's been like one a day, one of which is one of the way too many that I'm waiting for. I mean, there was an _eleven day span_ where no one updated anything.

So am I going crazy, or have you guys noticed it too?

**ALSO** I've been looking for a story recently that I can't find ANYWHERE it's where Roxas is Cloud's bastard son (really descriptive, right?), and he lives with Cloud and Zexion (and sometimes Demyx, who comes over a lot) and I'd love to write out the whole description that I remember but it would take so much room I'm _just looking for one scene it's sooo precious..._ So if you would like to help, PM me please? My cravings are very demanding and _my god that scene_. It's 10-11 chapters...?

Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything.

* * *

Axel's neck hurt. Really, really bad. He stirred quite a bit of time later, his eyes sticky with gunk. He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes, he knew it was a lot longer than expected. It was dark outside, barely lit by the quarter moon.

"Mnnn…"

He shifted around and stretched a little, some kind of fabric falling off of him. He glanced down at his lap, where the fabric had fallen from his torso.

There was a blanket there, emerald green, nothing more than a throw blanket from the back of the couch. But it was one that Axel loved; when he'd had nightmares when he was younger, he always made a beeline for this blanket, even before he went to Mom or Dad. The blanket had been carefully tucked beneath him, trapping his body heat in. This was, for certain, no work of the twins.

Axel shivered out of the blanket, dropping it to the ground and sliding away from it, as if it had burnt him. He shivered again as the cool air touched his bare arms.

He glanced back down toward the blanket when he heard a quiet clop. There, beside the blanket, a small piece of paper settled upside down. Axel crawled over to it and picked it up, turning it over.

It had four lines on it, all written in green ink and Dad's recognizable, messy handwriting.

'Axel,  
Come inside  
the door's unlocked.  
We will talk later.'

Axel smirked just a little bit; no doubt that Dad was feeling very uncomfortable right then. From the past that had given Dad his lockpicking skill, he also harbored an unnatural paranoia; there was never a window or door that was left unlocked at night. Now, for Dad to leave it open—and just for the kid who had just claimed would be happy to finally leave—Axel knew he had to feel extremely exposed.

But really, was Axel worth it? Wasn't Dad angry with him anymore? Or had he already calmed down? That'd actually be really good to hear. That Dad didn't hate him anymore. That he wasn't that mad.

...Or maybe he _was_ that mad. Maybe he _did_ hate him still. Maybe he just didn't think that their argument was done. Axel felt his arms shake, but he clenched his fists tightly and forced them to settle. He could probably call Demyx or Saïx, spend the night there. He was _really_ not up to another argument like that. And that was exactly what would happen if he spent the night here at home.

But then, that was exactly what would happen as soon as he got home from Demyx or Saix's place. He was basically asking for another argument. In fact, it would probably be worse if he waited it out. Let Dad's anger rise. It'd be best if he went inside and gave Dad the chance to talk to him.

He looked around him and then up at the dark house. Even if the argument came, he at least had a few hours to relax, to collect his thoughts and sleep. It wasn't like he had to go back in and wake Dad up. He _had_ wrote 'we will talk later'. Not now, not when you wake up, _later_.

Getting to his shaky legs, Axel grabbed the blanket and the note and went inside. He pushed the door open and then went inside, closing the door and locking it firmly. He switched on the hallway light (he did like seeing things, and there was another switch right by the stairs, anyway) and spotted a framed photograph sitting on the sofa table. He approached it and picked it up, his eyes sad.

It was a picture that had been taken maybe a week after the twins were born. It was the only time that they'd done photos professionally; Mom had insisted. Cloud stood at the center of the photograph, his arms around Axel and Mom. Axel was holding Roxas, Mom holding Sora, all five of them looking happy. That had been mere months before Mom had gotten sick with an illness that had taken her life in a week.

The photo was shattered, glass missing from the center mostly. It had been pushed up to the wall, out of the reach of the twins. It had been _his_ fault. _He_ was the reason the only real family picture they had was broken. He was the reason… their _family_ was broken.

He swallowed fiercely and set the photo down, trekking his way back to the stairs. He flipped off the light and climbed up the stairs.

First, he made his way down the hallway to peek in on the boys. Though Sora's bed was empty, Roxas' bed had two little heads resting on the pillow. They faced each other, arms wrapped around each other, blankets loosely laying around them. Axel smiled a little at them and stepped out, closing the door behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, to his dad's room. Should he go wake him up? Axel wasn't sure how much he'd appreciate it.

Instead, he turned back to his room and went inside, slipping beneath the covers. The blanket was still wound around his shoulders, so the blanket, covers and his abnormally high body temperature relaxed him greatly. He forced his mind to calm and let the heat lull him back to sleep.

* * *

When Axel awoke, he found his alarm hadn't gone off. He turned over and glanced at it, confused. The clock read 7:25; Axel's alarm should have gone off over an hour ago.

He gave a muffled curse and shot right out of his bed. School started in twenty minutes!

He scrambled out of the blankets, tripped gracelessly, and made it over to his dresser without breaking anything. He quickly threw together an outfit that would look alright and rushed downstairs. It looked as if his hair would stay flat. Again.

He burst into the kitchen to grab a glass of milk, which was at least some sustenance to last him until lunch, and clopped a little yellow cup on the counter, snatching his vitamins from a different cupboard. As he poured his drink, he spotted out of the corner of his eye a little note, addressed to him again. It was on a scrap of paper, probably the back of a receipt or something, and written in Dad's scrawly, penciled handwriting. 'Ax,' it read, 'you looked like you need the sleep, so I shut off your alarm. You can skip first period, but only if you walk Sora and Roxas to school, and actually eat something. Love, Dad.' In the bottom corner was even smaller handwriting, messier still, that read, 'we will talk tonight, so be home on time'.

Axel bit his lip cautiously and went to wake his brothers. Dad said it was okay, after all. And maybe the boys could distract him from the fear of what tonight's 'talk' would turn out like.

Within twenty minutes, Sora and Roxas were bounding down the stairs all ready to go. Grinning up at their brother, they launched into their seats and kicked their little feet impatiently. When Axel got them to settle and poured them each a bowl of cereal, they devoured it like starving animals.

Axel, still not hungry, just watched them with the washcloth. His brothers, he concluded, were disgusting. Once they finally finished, he wiped off their faces dripping with milk, and took their bowls. "You guys are nasty," he informed them, but they didn't seem to mind. "Did you do all of your homework?"

"Uh huh," said Sora, hopping out of his chair.

"I made him," said Roxas proudly, at which point Sora turned around and poked his tongue out at his twin.

"Good for you. Did you do yours?"

"Yes! Can we go watch tv now?"

Axel rolled his eyes but nodded. He didn't doubt that was the only reason that the boys had rushed through getting ready. "Alright. But only for twenty minutes."

"Yeah!" The boys bounced out of the room animatedly and curled up on the couch, and soon Axel could hear the sound of the tv playing.

Chuckling, Axel cleaned off the mess at the table and stowed away the dishes in the dishwasher (no reason to make Dad any angrier than he was with him). Then he went and joined his brothers on the couch.

By the end of the program, the boys had been watching him more than the show. When Axel, not liking the stares, asked what they wanted, Roxas said, "you look sad. Are you okay?"

Did he look sad? Axel _thought_ he'd been pulling off a neutral face for long enough. Was he? "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look tired. Did you really sleep outside last night?"

"We came out to wake you up, but Daddy said to leave you alone so we did. He gave you a blankie 'cause you looked cold."

Axel shrugged. "I came in early this morning. Slept in my bed after that."

"Daddy left the door unlocked?" Sora and Roxas both questioned with big eyes.

"Guess so."

"No wonder he was jumpy!" Sora giggled.

"He was jumpy?" Axel smirked widely. He'd so known that Dad would be, but it was exceptionally satisfying, knowing that he was right. Dad was so _paranoid_.

"Oh yes! He stayed in our room with us until we fell asleep, but I think he went to bed." Roxas nodded his head. That didn't surprise Axel at all; Dad just wanted to keep the little ones safe from imagined threats.

"Ha! Really, did he?" Axel said, just to engage them. He didn't remember seeing Dad in the boys' room, so he must have gone back into his own room after the boys fell asleep. Although, knowing Dad, he probably stayed in there well past his usual bedtime.

"Yes," Sora agreed. He yawned widely and flopped on top of Axel. "You aren't actually gonna leave, are ya?" he asked, and then Roxas looked up at Axel with curiosity, and their big eyes were shining bright blue up at him, half-pouting.

"...No. Of course not. This is my home, and I couldn't just _leave_ you two."

The answer, though initially a little uncertain, was immediately made worth it by the tiny, joyful squeals that the boys produced and the giant, happy grins crossing their young faces.

Axel glanced up at the clock and clapped his hands on his knees. "Speaking of leaving, it's time for you boys to go to school. Come on, coats on, backpacks on, shoes on. It's a little chilly out there."

"You would know," Roxas teased brightly, poking his tongue out at Axel. When the redhead made a grab for the blond, he gave a playful shriek and took off for the coat closet. Not wanting to be left out, Sora followed close behind.

—  
The walk was short, and of course Axel picked up Demyx, Naminé and Xion on the way there. When he arrived at his own school, just as first period ended, Demyx clapped him on the back for "surviving your dad's wrath", and Saïx actually questioned if he was alright.

"Really, Axel," said Saïx with a shake of his shaggy blue hair, "it would be no shame to do tutoring. It would be more shameful to have to retake the class next year. It's already bad enough that you're doing it a year late, isn't it?"

"I don't need tutoring," Axel growled at Saïx, flushing bright red at the mention of his hiatus. His beginner's chemistry teacher in 9th grade had recommended that he take advanced chemistry in 10th grade, and then AP in 11th grade, which was what he had been in the semester before. In fact, the counselor who had scheduled his classes had been so incredibly impressed with his interest in thermodynamics and the like that she completely forgot that earth science was a required class in 10th grade and all of his peers were taking it without him. Unfortunately, she had remembered when she looked at his transcripts and realized that he technically couldn't even pass the 10th grade without earth science…

"That explains the bags under your eyes then," Saïx said smartly.

"I don't have bags under my eyes!" Axel snarled, stalking away from his blue-haired best friend. "I've just got more important things to worry about than stupid !"

"Clearly not; that's _all_ you're worrying about."

"No, that's all _Dad_'s worried about. Earth science can go… go die in a hole or something!"

Demyx laughed at him and rolled his eyes. "No one will laugh at you for doing tutoring, Ax. And maybe your dad'll stop yelling so much when he sees that you're trying. I'm serious. You need the help, Mr. 'I'm 10 assignments behind'."

"I am not!" Axel clenched his fists with fury. "I turned in every one of those assignments! _I_ don't know what he does with them. And in fact, I don't _want_ to know what he does with them! I'll just take it in summer school or something."

"You'd rather waste your _whole summer_," said Demyx, appalled, "than just take an extra hour that you already use just waiting for the elementary school to get out?"

"Yes," Axel lied.

Saïx gave up, rolling his golden eyes. "Fine. You can fail the course. _Then_ what will your dad think of you? But it's nothing on my conscience. Enjoy summer school and please, do send me a postcard."

Axel made a rather irritated, rude gesture at his friend and stormed away to his next class, algebra.

* * *

Axel slunk into his earth science classroom during the hour-long period for lunch between 4th and 5th block. Gnawing on his lip anxiously (he did _not_ want to be here, but more than that, he didn't want to get yelled at again), he quietly went to the teacher's desk. Mr. Even sat at his computer, flipping through the hard copies of the test they'd just done not too long ago. The man was taking a swig out of his water bottle, and had a homemade sandwich at his side.

"...Um… Mr. Even…?" Axel cursed himself at how nervous he sounded.

Still, Mr. Even nearly jumped out of his seat with surprise, dropping the bottle. Luckily, he'd just capped the thing, so when it hit the ground, no mess was made. He looked up with chilly green eyes at Axel. "What? Oh, Mr. Strife," he said, taking a moment to recognize Axel, "what can I help you with?"

"Yesterday, you sent an email home to my dad, talking about some missing assignments. And, for some of them, I _know_ I turned them in. Oh, and um… here's the last one." He pulled out the sheet that had been due just a few days ago. The homework had been furiously done in math, making Axel completely miss his lesson.

Mr. Even cocked a brow and took the proffered assignment, setting it on his desk. "Thank you. Well, regarding those assignments, Mr. Strife, I'm afraid that I don't have them. They aren't in my gradebook. However, I can give you another sheet. If you turn them in on Monday, I'll even offer you full credit."

"R-really?" asked Axel, eyes wide. Mr. Even was being a lot kinder than he normally was, to any other student.

"Yes." Mr. Even stooped to grab his water bottle and set it off to the side. He then spun in the chair and wheeled it over to the tan file cabinet, on the opposite side of the desk. "If I remember correctly, you are missing… this one, and this one, and this..." The tall blond started muttering under his breath, pulling out paper after paper. Axel winced after each one. That was a _lot_ of extra homework to do in one weekend. But… it was better than failing. And no matter what he'd said to Demyx, he did not want to go to summer school.

Axel took the assignments when he was offered them, flipping through them. Yeah, he'd done the one on top, and the second one, and the… no, forgot the third one…

"That should be all of them," his teacher sighed. "And if you're so sure that you turned them in, I suppose that I might have misplaced them... I'll look around for them. And if all of these issues were caused by my misplacement, I suppose I should repay you those points."

"Really?" Axel repeated himself. He secretly hoped to himself that Mr. Even had misplaced the assignments. What would Dad have to say about him _then_?

Mr. Even sighed. "Yes," he said again. He glanced up at Axel, cocking a brow. "...Mr. Strife, as a teacher it is my duty to watch out for my students. So I must ask... are there any problems at your home?"

Axel looked to his teacher curiously. "Problems?"

"Yes. I've met with your father, and he seems like a sensible man, if not a bit... impulsive. Perhaps violent, if angered. _Are there problems at home_?"

Axel considered his teacher and frowned.

He knew what Mr. Even meant. Was Axel being hurt? Was he safe at home?

...Of course he was safe. Sure, Dad got mad at him, but Axel never feared for his safety. His sanity, maybe, but never his safety. Dad wouldn't hurt him. Dad would _never_ hurt him. "...No. There aren't any problems, Mr. Even. Dad's just really tired right now, so he has a short temper. Thanks again." Axel nodded to his teacher and stepped out of the classroom, heading for the library to do his homework. He really wasn't hungry, anyway.

* * *

Sora and Roxas chattered in his ear the whole way home. Well, mostly Sora, whose arms were thrown over his shoulders as he was given a piggyback ride home. Demyx had to practice for his solo after school, so he and Naminé weren't walking home with them. Roxas walked alongside him, holding his fingertips loosely and attempting to get a few words in edgewise.

When they arrived home, Fenrir wasn't in the driveway and Axel was insanely relieved. So, he wouldn't be getting in trouble today. Not right away at least. That was good.

He'd managed to finish two of the assignments in the library during lunch and after school. No, it wasn't all nine of them, but it was a start. And that _was_ two that he wouldn't have to do later. That _was_ two that, when Dad got mad at him for not trying, he could wave around and say "they're done".

Axel let the boys into the house, and the two of them immediately dashed to the closet to tear off their jackets and shoes. "Boys, homework," Axel reminded them, just as they were about to take off for their room, backpacks on the floor.

"Aww," Sora whined as Roxas went to grab their bags obediently. "But it's _Friday_."

"Yeah," Axel agreed. "And tomorrow's Saturday, and the day after is Sunday. What's your point?"

"It's _play-day_!" Sora continued whining. He flashed a big pout at Axel.

"No, tomorrow's play-day. Tell you what. All three of us will do homework in my room, and then when we're done, I'll play with you then. Sound fair?"

Roxas dropped Sora's bag at his feet and tapped a finger on his chin. He shared a look with his brother, who was making a similar expression. Axel groaned at the supposed "thoughtful" expression. "...Okay!" Sora finally said. Roxas nodded fiercely. The two picked up their bags and hopped up the stairs and into Axel's room. With a half-smile, Axel kicked off his shoes and followed them.

They worked until Dad came home sometime around five. Sora and Roxas, who had finished their work the hour prior, had dashed into their room to grab their action figures and toy cars, and Axel thought he was left in peace and quiet until they came back, and promptly declared war on each other, going on about something about their hearts. When Dad came in, he yelled up the stairs that he was home and had brought dinner.

Sora paused in his playing, giving Roxas just enough time to deliver a decisive blow on his brother's Red Power Ranger, at which point Sora gave a scream of protest, dropped all of his toys, and tackled Roxas to the ground.

"Boys!" said Dad from down the stairs. Sora looked up from his place crouched over his twin, and then Roxas licked his hand and squirmed out from beneath him. "Coming, Daddy!" He scrambled to his feet before Sora could lash out and trip him, and then looked back at Axel. "Are you coming?"

Axel shook his head. "I've got work to do. You two go on downstairs. You haven't had anything since lunch."

"Betcha you haven't had anything since yesterday," Sora grumbled. He got his feet beneath him, shared a look with his twin, and then they took off for the stairs and their father. Axel smirked at them and turned back to his earth science.

It was five minutes later when heavy creaking ascended the stairs. Axel flipped up the hood he was wearing and turned his face a little more away from the door, ignoring the sound of someone leaning on the door frame.

"...We're waiting for you, you know," said Dad, his voice surprisingly light. It had felt like so long since Dad had been this soft.

"Well, you'll be waiting a lot longer. I'm not hungry."

Dad sighed a little, pushing himself off of the doorway. "I'm worried about you, Axel. When was the last time you ate?"

"This morning," Axel lied.

Dad shook his head. "You and I both know that's not true. Don't think I didn't notice that there were only two bowls in the dishwasher. I don't like you lying to me."

"Yeah well…" Axel tried to reply, but couldn't think of what to say. The first thing that had come to his mind was 'maybe I wouldn't lie to you so much if I thought I could trust you'. But really, that was being ridiculous. Of _course_ he trusted Dad. The two of them were just going through a phase. Saying that would only hurt the both of them more.

Dad approached Axel and looked down at his paper. "I'm not up here to yell at you, you know. What are you doing?"

"Earth science," Axel replied, showing him a few finished assignments. He still had about half of the assignments left to do, but… he was doing good.

"Making sense?"

Well, Dad had said that he didn't like Axel lying to him. "No."

Dad snickered a little, prompting a smile out of Axel. "Come on," Dad said, snatching his pencil and seizing his arm. "Get up. You need to take a break. And more than that, _you need to eat_. I've even got your favorite…"

Axel flashed him a look, but let Dad drag him out of his chair. "What do you mean?"

"Come on." Dad managed to drag him down the stairs, although Axel wasn't exactly protesting. He was too up to taking a break.

"There you are!" said Roxas when Dad got him into the dining room. His face was a mess, covered in what looked like soy sauce. He hopped out of his chair and tackled Axel's leg, looking relieved when he hugged him. Axel had to fight down the urge to grab the nearest napkin to clean off the younger twin.

"You did it, Daddy!" Sora said from his place at the table. He grinned widely.

"Sora, don't talk with your mouth full," Dad scolded, his eyes glittering with amusement.

Axel flashed Dad another look, at which point he said, "okay, _I_ waited. And they did until I went up to fetch you."

"Now you _hafta_ eat!" Roxas insisted, poking his kneecap.

Axel picked him up and stopped fighting the urge, reaching to the center of the table for the napkin holder. He wiped off Roxas' face, and Roxas gave a grin of thanks, dropping back into his chair. He continued mutilating his meal carelessly.

Dad chuckled a little and messed up his blond son's hair, before sitting in his own place at the head of the table. He motioned to Axel's chair, beside Roxas, and after a moment of consideration, Axel sat.

Before him, Dad—god bless his soul—had laid out a plate filled to the brim with chow mein noodles, orange chicken, and three (count 'em, three!) egg rolls, from that non-traditionalized Chinese place down the way. The stuff was about as non-Chinese as it could possibly be, and just as unhealthy, but _damn_ did it taste good. Dad didn't like it, but ever since Mom had brought him there the night after he'd gotten out of the hospital to celebrate good new health and the adoption, Axel had _loved_ it. It wasn't often that they went to that place anymore as a family, especially with the new management who wasn't Dad's biggest fan, but Axel dragged his friends there whenever he could.

"Eat up," said Dad with a grin, settling into his own plate of burnt bourbon chicken (it was the only stuff he'd eat from there, and it _had_ to be slightly burnt, to get rid of some of the "flavor") and fried rice.

As soon as Axel started eating, his stomach snarled at him for _more more more!_ It was the first time he'd eaten in three days, after all. It didn't take much longer for the plate to be gone and for Axel to hobble over to the fridge to see if there was anything else. Dad normally kept the fridge fully stocked.

"Careful, Axe. Don't eat too much or you'll just throw it all back up. Reintroducing so much food to a starved organism isn't entirely healthy," Dad scolded when Axel sat back down, though his tone was light and playful. There was none of that angry Dad from last night. Axel could have cried from relief.

The boys both stuck out their tongues and made faces. They hopped out of their chairs and dashed upstairs, wailing something or other about their 'keyblade war'. They slammed Axel's door shut.

While Axel continued eating, Dad started up on the dishes, throwing out the boxes and putting the plates in the dishwasher. Once Axel finished his meal, he helped, though Dad was nearly done.

Dad popped his back when Axel finished wiping off the table. He gave a loud, wide yawn and said, "well, I'm going to bed. Working early tomorrow."

"Okay," Axel replied simply, tossing the cloth back into the sink.

Dad sighed. "Axel," he said cautiously, stepping closer to his eldest.

Axel stiffened for a moment. He knew what Dad wanted; to talk about last night. But… Axel didn't _want_ to talk about it. Couldn't he just pretend that it hadn't happened? Just for one more night? Was that so much to ask?

Dad didn't continue, didn't say anything. Instead, he approached his son, turned him around until he was face to face with him, and looked him right in the eyes.

Axel was startled into silence by the bluntness of his dad's actions. He winced fiercely when Dad clapped his hands on his shoulders and yanked Axel down, so he was crouching just a little bit and it was clearly easier to do whatever it was that he planned to do.

Dad's arms wound around his son's shoulders, pulling him closer, if at all possible.

"Good night, son." With that, as though nothing had happened, Dad released Axel and turned around, headed for his room, before Axel had the chance to react.

Axel turned bright red, once Dad was halfway up the stairs and Axel managed to realize what was going on. But when he came to terms with it and the blush faded, he realized that he felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

...He missed those hugs.

* * *

Sora plopped onto his belly in Axel's room, watching Roxas lock the door quietly and then lay down opposite him.

"Axel and Daddy are always fighting," Roxas said, to start off their secret meeting. He picked up his Blue Power Ranger and bounced it across the floor, making as though he and Sora were playing still.

"Uh huh," Sora agreed, following Roxas' Blue Power Ranger with his formidable (and so much better!) Red one. "Too much."

"Yeah." Roxas kicked his little legs on the bed frame. "What we've gotta do is make them stop."

"Right. But how do we make them stop? We gotta find out why they're fighting."

Roxas glanced up at the desk, where papers upon papers were scattered across the surface. "...Axel's homework. He never gets it done no more. And Daddy's work isn't being good. They're just getting madderer and madderer at each other 'cause of their own problems." He tapped Blue Power Ranger's hand on his chin, picking up Green Power Ranger and hopping it over onto Sora's Black Power Ranger.

"That's what grown-ups are all about. They get madderer because they can't figure out their problems," Sora explained, picking up his green toy monster truck and _zoom_ing it over Green Power Ranger.

"Grown-ups are dumb," Roxas remarked.

"Uh huh," Sora agreed. "Very dumb. Dumb so they can't figure out how to fix it."

"But we're gonna." Roxas snatched Sora's monster truck and drove it around a little bit, stopping in front of Red Power Ranger.

"Yeah." Sora looked up at Roxas and the twins split a grin. "We're gonna."

* * *

These kids though _they're so precious_.

I love writing that they have poor table manners. I mean, they're six, and were raised without a mother, but I just love it.

Seriously though, if you want to help me find the story that'd be awesome. If you review, mention it there (or don't) but if you don't, that's okay just PM me. Just a friendly reminder.

But review. Please. All will be answered!


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